Wesley Eisiminger

Davis Bennett, 75, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1961. He is one of the many combat veterans serving time at San Quentin State Prison.
Bennett served in Vietnam in October 1967 and December 1970.
“I was assigned to the 1st Armored Division and was a machine gunner on an APC (Armored Personnel Carrier),” he said. His unit consisted of three tanks, three APCs, a company of about 150 infantry men and a mortar squad of about 12 men.
“I was wounded three times while in an APC. Once a VC (Viet Cong) rocket-propelled grenade, better known as an RPG, … [Read more...] about Reflections of a veteran: Davis Bennett

A clear sky and blue waters, seen from San Quentin State Prison’s visiting room, served as the backdrop for friends and family to witness four incarcerated men earn degrees from a Christian leadership ministry course.
The men graduated on June 16 from Gateway Seminary, North Bay School of Theology (formerly Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary).
“I took this class to be closer to the Lord and step in my calling to preach the gospel,” Anthony Prater Sr. said.
Prater’s mother looking on added, “He has grown and matured as a man and will … [Read more...] about Five men graduate with degrees from Gateway Seminary

A new religious site for Odinists, called the All Faith Religious Grounds, is now open at San Quentin.
Jamie Lindsey said he is a well-known and outspoken spokesman for the Odinists, known by both the prisoners and correctional officers. When Lindsey first arrived at San Quentin in March 2013, there were no religious grounds for him and his fellow kinsmen to hold their blots each month.
He said that he stayed in contact with the chaplain’s officers, associate wardens and anyone else who would listen to him. In December 2015 his persistence … [Read more...] about Jamie Lindsey establishes All Faith Religious Grounds

San Quentin artists say they enjoy beautifying the prison with their talents. Their latest project is to create 16 huge mural panels for one of the prison’s dining halls. Each panel measures 7 feet high and 4 feet wide. The finished mural will be 64 feet long.
“I’ve been at San Quentin for 12 years, and there are six members of the mural crew who all work together in making this piece of art,” lead muralist Scott Mckinstry said. “Each panel demonstrates a member’s talent.”
Painting murals around the prison gives something to the … [Read more...] about SQ Mural Artists Work to Beautify the Prison

San Quentin State Prison has very beautiful gardens, the inmate caretakers say.
“I enjoy working on the garden,” said Frank Smith, who is the lead man of four groundskeepers for a garden near the prison’s entrance.
Smith said he’s been doing this job for five years to make it a place full of beauty. “I trim the bushes to take shape, to bring them out, and it is part of my meditation doing my work here.”
He went on to say that no seeds, plants or material are given to the caretakers. The plants’ seeds are used to re-plant new flowers … [Read more...] about Groundskeepers Find Their Work Therapeutic

San Quentin now has a master cabinetmaker who has worked on many special cabinetry projects for the prison.
Inmate Jerome K. Vernon said, “I have been here at San Quentin only about one and half years. I came from Old Folsom and this is the first time in 20 years I have done any cabinet work.”
He explained that was because the other prison had few work assignments and no programs in woodworking.
Vernon said, “I learned cabinetmaking from my father’s construction and glazing company and worked for him for 15 years and through high … [Read more...] about Master Cabinetmaker Applies Skills 20 Years Later

After the end of the Vietnam War, veterans of that war have finally received a welcome home. Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. has proclaimed March 30 “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day,” according to the Zephyr, a veterans publication.
Nearly three and a half million Americans served in the United States military during the Vietnam War and related conflicts in Southeast Asia between 1959 and 1975.
About 58,000 U.S. service members died in the Vietnam War, –more than 5,800 were Californians– and many also suffered physical injuries, said the … [Read more...] about “Brown Proclaims ‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day’”

By Wesley Eisiminger
Staff Writer
Bruce Fowler turns his natural talent in drawing and painting into magnificent works of art.
Fowler said he started drawing 16 years ago doing pencil drawings of seascapes when he was in a county jail. He never went to any class on drawing or paintings.
“When I came to San Quentin from Ironwood, I started doing painting when a friend invited me to the Arts-in-Corrections class.” That is where his talent really came out and his work was shown at the recent TEDx event and in the March edition of the San … [Read more...] about Naturally Talented Artist Began While Incarcerated

Eighteen students have graduated from the First Step Bible class, a 10-week program of Holy Scripture study at the San Quentin Protestant Chapel.
It was the first phase of a 12-month program aimed at preparing the students to become ministers.
The initial classes cover introductions to the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible.
“This class has provided me with a solid foundation to continue to move forward on my journey,” said student Timothy Holmes. “I wanted to learn as much as I can about my Lord and Savior and develop a … [Read more...] about 18 SQ Students Graduate from Scripture Study

Putting ex-felons in county jails for using drugs while on supervised release is in violation of Proposition 36, a state court has ruled.
The decision by the 4th District Court of Appeals in Santa Ana does not affect the central provision of the Realignment law, which sends lower-level felons to county jails rather than state prison, said the San Francisco Chronicle.
“The Legislature cannot evade Proposition 36’s amendment requirements simply by passing legislation that purports to pare down the proposition’s coverage,” said Justice … [Read more...] about Court Ruled Ex-Felons’ Rights Violated Under Prop. 36